Sheriff Randy Hoenisch's absences worry Marathon County Board members

No 'authority' over top cop, members say

Feb. 22, 2013 1:00 AM

GaryGisselman

Written by

Amanda Seitz

Daily Herald Media

KenFabel

JohnRobinson

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Marathon County Board members said Thursday they’re worried that Sheriff Randy Hoenisch apparently isn’t showing up for work but they’re unsure of what action — if any — they can take to address the problem.

County Board member and Schofield Mayor Ken Fabel said he wants to hear from Hoenisch after Daily Herald Media reports published Wednesday revealed that the sheriff had only been in his office for 1.75 hours so far this year.

“I think what would be more than appropriate is at least an explanation of what he’s been doing,” Fabel said Thursday.

Fabel’s constituents want answers, too. He said he has fielded about a dozen inquiries about the sheriff’s work habits since the Daily Herald Media report.

County Board member John Robinson, however, said that no one within the county can force the elected sheriff to be in his office or attend board or committee meetings.

“I may want to bring the sheriff in and ask some questions, but we don’t have the authority to do it,” Robinson said. “What reason would we embark in a process where we have no say? The County Board has enough important business to do where they can have an impact.”

Marathon County’s attorney, Scott Corbett, said the County Board has no authority over the sheriff. State law also prohibits the board from changing the sheriff’s pay or benefits during his term, Corbett added.

“We can’t say, ‘We don’t like you, for whatever reason, and we’re going to cut your pay down,’” Corbett said. “I don’t know that there’s any action (the board) can take against him.”

Matt Hildebrandt, a County Board member who also serves on the county’s Public Safety Committee, which works with the Sheriff’s Department, agreed that while he’s concerned about the sheriff on a personal and professional level, he’s unsure when or if the board will get any explanation concerning his work attendance.

“Do I, as a voter, have concerns over the situation? Yes. But do I know all of the details? No,” Hildebrandt said. “We’re all kind of waiting for an answer, it would be nice to hear one. I don’t know if we’re going to get that right now. I’m sure we’ll all have some sort of closure to this very soon.”

Marathon County voters likely will have the final say, during the 2014 election, whether Hoenisch gets to keep his job, County Board member Gary Gisselman said.

“I’m not sure what the role of the County Board, or what my role as a county supervisor is at this point in time,” Gisselman said. “He’s an elected official ... . Let the voters decide. It’s the voters’ call at the next election.”